Firefighters were dispatched to 3480 Jefferson Road just after 1 a.m. Monday for a report of a structure fire. When they arrived, the home was engulfed in flames, Lutz said.

The home owners were on vacation in Washington, D.C. when the fire happened, Lutz said.

A Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputy was in the area and arrived to the fire minutes after it was dispatched. Lutz said when the deputy arrived, there were multiple vehicles parked in the driveway and it was unclear if there were any occupants inside the structure. Firefighters did a primary search of the residence to make sure there was nobody inside while they were putting out the fire.

“We were unsure if anyone was inside (because of the vehicles parked outside),” Lutz said. “One crew attacked the fire and another crew did a search. There were no occupants found, so we exited the structure and continued to fight the fire.”

While performing the search, a firefighter was going up to the second level of the structure and fell through the stairs, Lutz said. He was not injured.

“Fortunately, the firefighter behind him was able to pull him out,” Lutz said. “He is okay.”

The homeowner’s mother, Jean Logan, said she is thankful her family is safe, but it is still hard to lose all the memories which were destroyed. Logan was at the home, assessing the damage.

“It’s a bad thing, they lost everything,” Logan said. “At least they are all safe. Everything else can be replaced, but the pictures (and memories) cannot be.”

What caused the fire is still to be determined, Lutz said, adding the Red Cross was notified and will be meeting with the family when they return.

Logan said the family is returning today, cutting their vacation short because of the fire.